Wednesday 19 February 2020

CHAMISA CLOSES DOOR ON ED TALKS


MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa yesterday said his party is planning to plunge the country into an orgy of violence as it has abandoned its calls for dialogue.

Mr Chamisa lost to President Mnangagwa in the 2018 elections and his court challenge seeking to nullify the outcome of the polls hit a brick wall.

President Mnangagwa has extended an olive branch to Mr Chamisa to join other parties for dialogue under the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), a gesture which the MDC Alliance leader has repeatedly rejected. He has instead demanded talks outside POLAD.

Mr Chamisa made the declaration during a press conference at the MDC Alliance headquarters in Harare yesterday after a tour of the party’s provincial structures across the country. The party started its first illegal demo in Harare yesterday.

In the meetings where the media was barred, Mr Chamisa reportedly told members that they would engage in spontaneous violent demonstrations and this time would not notify the police of their intentions as required by the law.

In Bulawayo in particular, Mr Chamisa last week reportedly said the police would not restrain “millions” of people when they take to the streets while his deputy Professor Welshman Ncube lamented that the MDC- Alliance’s support base in Bulawayo had shrunk in the 2018 elections.
  
After the elections, Zanu-PF has won the majority of seats in by-elections, a development which the ruling party says confirms its dominance in the country’s political landscape.

“Now we are drawing the line in the sand, even in the party I have told them, we will not continue on this path of talking about dialogue, we must be able to resolve this issue once and for all and you will see more of the people taking to the streets, you will see more people acting now more than ever before,” said Mr Chamisa yesterday.

He said his party is ignoring advice to prepare for the 2023 elections but was going for a “radical” and “disruptive” approach.

“We are going to do a raft of activities and you will see them across in communities throughout the country. The people know the task ahead and they know that the task is not easy, they are determined to rescue their country, people are ready to fight, they are ready for a big fight, they are ready to defend their rights, they’re ready for actions that are going to give them freedom.

“Ultimately the people have the right to protest, all we have to do is to provide the oxygen to the demand of that protest and that oxygen we will provide to those who are willing to participate, we will make sure we provide leadership and that will be provided,” said Mr Chamisa.

Last January, MDC-Alliance and its partner organisations instigated violent demonstrations across the country which saw massive destruction of property. Bulawayo was the worst affected as many businesses were looted and owners robbed of a source of income. A police officer was also killed by the violent demonstrators.

The Government came to the rescue of the affected businesses by launching the $30 million emergency relief loan fund to assist businesses and shop owners whose outlets were destroyed and looted during the violent protests. Herald

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